Structural panel



` March 26, 1963 l s. wEENlNG 3,082,850

STRUCTURAL PANEL Filed Oct. 12. 1959 INVENTOR.'

SAMUEL WEENING ATTORNEY 3,082,850 Patented Mar. 26, 1963 3,082,850STRUCTURAL PANEL Samuel Weeuing, 88 Bentley St., Staten Island, N.Y.Filed Oct. 12, 1959, Ser. No. 845,719 4 Claims. (Cl. 189-34) Thisinvention relates to structural panels and methods of constructing thesame.

In applicants patent 2,297,040 structural panels are produced from aseries of tubular members whose contacting wall portions are weldedtogether; the panel being 1j stiffened by means of `diaphragms locatedat the ends of the members.

However, the cost of the requisite welding installation and theoperation of the same results in relatively high production costs forpanels made in this manner. Accordingly, an object of this invention isto provide an improved panel construction made up of tubular memberswhich are integrated in a simple and inexpensive manner.

Another object of this invention is to provide an irnprovedmulti-element structural panel wherein the connector -meansbetweenindividual panel elements serves to reinforce the -panel as awhole and increase its resistance to stresses in use. K

Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved method-ofmaking structural panels from tubular 4members wherein unitary panelsmay be preformed; or alternatively, wall structures may be formed insitu.

Still another object of this invention is to provide an improvedstructural panel fabricated from tubular members, utilizing a novelsystem for integrating the members, such system allowing lfor variationsin engineering design to cope with particular loads applicable to thepanel.

Still a further object 'of this invention is to provide an improvedconstruction panel in the form of walls, oors', girders and the like,and comprising a plurality of integrated tubular members; theintegrating means being operative to stiften the panel against collapseand to make the same highly resistant to applied stresses.

rOther objects of this invention will in part be obvious and in parthereinafter pointed out.

In the drawing,

FIG. l is a perspective view of a single tubular member constituting anelement in the panel embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational View of a structural panel or wall made inaccordance with the invention;

"FIG, 3 is a longitudinal sectional view showing an initial step in theintegration of a pair of tubular members;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to that of FIG. 3 and showing the members inintegrated form; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing the integration of of `walls 11, 12;l13, 14, of uniform thickness. Walls 11, 12 are formed with a series ofpairs of aligned openings 15, 16 respectively, at longitudinally spacedintervals along the length of member 10.

The openings 15 in wall 11 of member 10, are of uni- 1 form diameter,which diameter is somewhat larger than that of the respectively alignedopenings 16 in wall 12. Members 10 are adapted to be disposed in side byside, wall contacting relation and integrated to form a panel or wall,such as shown in FI-G. 2.;

Toform such panel or wall, the members 10 are successively integrated ina progressive manner, as shown in FIGS. 3, 4 and 5. Thus as shown inFIG. 3, a pair of members 10 are so disposed that wall 12 of member A isin contact with wall 11 of member B and the openings 16, 15 in saidrespective walls are in registry. As

openings 16, 15 are in concentric relation, marginal wall portion 18 ateach opening 16 will overlie marginal wall portion 19 at openings 15 andwill project beyond the edge of said openings 15.

Means is provided for mechanically interlocking mari ginal wall portions18, 19 at each pair of registering openings 16, 15 of wall contactingmembers A, B to integrate said members. To this end, there is introducedthrough each of the larger openings 15 of member A,

' Y, a rotatable tool 20 having a conical head 21 for engagement withmarginal wall portion 18 of aligned openings 16.

The head 21 of tool 20, at its maximum diameter will freely pass throughlarger openings 15. However, only the forward end of head 21 will passthrough the smaller a third member with respect to the previouslyintegrated members shown in FIG. 4,

In accordance with the instant invention, a structural panel, completewall, or other structural portion of a building, ship or the like, isproduced by integrating a series of tubular members in wall contactingrelation. The integration of the members involves the mechanicalinterlocking of contacting wall portions of the members at spacedintervals along the length thereof, in the absence of rivets, bolts,weldments or other supplementary connecting means; the connecting meansbeing derived directly from wall portions of the contacting members.

The tubular members from which a panel is formed, preferably are ofrectangular cross section, as shown in FIG. l, wherein tubular member 10formed of aluminum, steel or other metals and alloys, comprises opposedpairs openings 16. Itwill be apparent, that upon rotating tool 20, head21 will be operative to form or spin the marginal wall portions 18, 19to produce annular, interlocking flange portions 22, 23, as shown inFIG. 4.

To facilitate the integrating operation, tools 20 may be operated inmultiple or gang form, at a plurality of registering openings 16, 15 inmembers A, B; the tools being then withdrawn from openings 15 in memberA and reinserted further along the length of said members.

A third member C may now be integrated with previously integratedmembers A, B; by repeating the operation described above. Thus, as shownin FIG. 5, tool 20 is inserted into the larger openings 15 of member Cto form the annular interlocking Iwall portions at opening 16 of memberC while in registry with opening 15 of member A. Additional tubularmembers 10 are successively integrated in a similar manner until thepanel has reached a desired Width.

The procedure above described, may also be applied to the formation ofwalls, etc., in situ. Furthermore, such walls may be made in any desiredlength, as well as height, as indicated in FIG. 2, wherein successiverows of tubular members in end to end relation are built up with jointsin adjacent rows staggered.

Thus, a bottom row of tubular members 26, 27 and 29 are disposed in endto end relation. A second row of tubular members 25, 28, also in end toend relation, are placed in wall contacting relation with the tubularmembers 26, 27 and 29. The tubular members of the second row areintegrated with the members of the first row, in the manner previouslydescribed. As the joints between the members in each row are staggered,the wall or panel may be made of any desired length, merely by addingadditional members to each row in end abutting relation, Suicient rowsof tubular members are assembled to a desired width or height.

By varying the longitudinal spacing between successive pairs of openings15, 16, in members 10, said members 10 may be integrated at selectedintervals along the length of the wall contacting members, in accordancewith selected design specitications to suit particular load or stresspatterns.

It desired, the abutting ends of members may be stilened by means ofdiaphragme such as disclosed in Patent 2,297,040; thereby furtherincreasing the structural values of the finished panel, floor, wall orthe like in respect to loads and stresses.

While tubular members 10 are shown as having a rectangular crosssection, it is understood that the members may have other crosssections, polygonal or otherwise, providing there is suticientcontacting wall portions to allow for the interlocking operationsdescribed above.

As various changes might be made in the embodiments of the inventionherein shown7 without departing from the spirit thereof, it isunderstood that all matter disclosed herein shall be deemed illustrativeand not limiting except as set forth in the appended claims.

:Having thus disclosed my invention, I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent:

1. A structural panel comprising a plurality of tubular members inparallel arrangement, each pair of said tubular members having opposedWall portions in contacting relation throughout the length thereof, eachof said tubular members being formed on'its opposed Walls with pairs oflongitudinally spaced pairs of transversely aligned openings, the spacedopenings on one wall of one of said pair of tubular members being.larger than the respectively :aligned openings on the other wall of saidone tubular member, the smaller openings in the wall of said onetubularlmember being in respective registration with the larger openings in thewall of the other tubular member in contact with said wall of said onetubular member, the wall portions of each pair of registering openingsin said pair of tubular members being in displaced,interlocking'relation with each other to rigidly secure said tubularmembers together, the larger openings in said one wall of said onetubular member of said pair of tubular members being adapted to admit atool for forming the displaced, interlocking wall portions at each pairof registering openings.

4. A structural panel comprising parallel adjacent tubular members, eachtubular member being formed on opposed wall portions thereof ywithlongitudinally spaced pairs of aligned openings, the openings in oneWall por# tion thereof being larger than the respectively alignedopenings in the other wall portion opposed to said one Wall portion,each tubular member having the wall portion thereof with openings ofsmall size in contact with the wall portion of an adjacent tubularmember having openings of larger size, the pairs of smaller and largeropenings in the contacting tubular wall portions being in respectiveregistry, said tubular members being xedly secured to each other insuccession by tool means'admit-ted through the larger openings of one ofa pair of adjacent tubular members for engaging and displacing wallportions at each pair of registering openings in the contacting wallportions of said pair of tubular members into interlocking relation.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

1. A STRUCTURAL PANEL COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF TUBULAR MEMBERS INPARALLEL ARRANGEMENT, EACH PAIR OF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS HAVING OPPOSEDWALL PORTIONS IN CONTACTING RELATION THROUGHOUT THE LENGTH THEREOF, EACHOF SAID TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING FORMED ON ITS OPPOSED WALLS WITH PAIRS OFLONGITUDINALLY SPACED PAIRS OF TRANSVERSELY ALIGNED OPENINGS, THE SPACEDOPENINGS ON ONE WALL OF ONE OF SAID PAIR OF TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING LARGERTHAN THE RESPECTIVELY ALIGNED OPENINGS ON THE OTHER WALL OF SAID ONETUBULAR MEMBER, THE SMALLER OPENINGS IN THE WALL OF SAID ONE TUBULARMEMBER BEING IN RESPECTIVE REGISTRATION WITH THE LARGER OPENINGS IN THEWALL OF THE OTHER TUBULAR MEMBER IN CONTACT WITH SAID WALL OF SAID ONETUBULAR MEMBER, THE WALL PORTIONS OF EACH PAIR OF REGISTERING OPENINGSIN SAID PAIR OF TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING IN DISPLACED, INTERLOCKINGRELATION WITH EACH OTHER TO RIGIDLY SECURE SAID TUBULAR MEMBERSTOGETHER, THE LARGER OPENINGS IN SAID ONE WALL OF SAID ONE TUBULARMEMBER OF SAID PAIR OF TUBULAR MEMBERS BEING ADAPTED TO ADMIT A TOOL FORFORMING THE DISPLACED, INTERLOCKING WALL PORTIONS AT EACH PAIR OFREGISTERING OPENINGS.